2 weeks Ago By Marcus Traxler
YANKTON — Efficient offense from No. 1-ranked Yankton and six first-half turnovers from Mitchell made for a lopsided season finale for the Kernel football team on Thursday night, falling 80-14 at Crane-Youngworth Field. The Bucks scored on their first four drives in the first quarter, including three of those on the Kernel side of the field thanks to MHS turnovers.
Running back Evan Serck finished with six rushing touchdowns for the Bucks, who finished with 11 touchdowns overall. The Kernels entered Thursday's game already eliminated from playoff contention for the eight-team bracket. ADVERTISEMENT After an opening drive ended in a punt for Mitchell, Yankton made quick work to get on the board with its turbo offense, scoring in five plays on a Serck 9-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 edge.
On the next drive, Mitchell made good progress on a 13-yard Parker Denne run but it was wiped out on the next play when TJ Jellis’ bubble pass attempt was picked off and run back by Bode Thurman for a 33-yard touchdown to put the Bucks ahead 14-0 with less than 5 minutes elapsed in the opening quarter. The next drive was nearly a carbon copy for the Kernels, throwing another interception on a screen pass on their second play of the series, as Bryce Kral’s interception set up a short field for Yankton to convert with a 20-yard Serck touchdown run to lead 21-0 Trailing 21-0, Mitchell was able to get a drive going with Jaxson Hartman finding Hudson Borgan and Logan Bessler on short passes to work down the field before later finding Brayden Reindl for a 34-yard pass to the Yankton 7-yard line. Three plays later, the Kernels went to the halfback pass from Denne to Borgan for a 6-yard touchdown reception to get within 21-6.
But Yankton answered back with a long-distance score to end the first quarter, a 73-yard touchdown pass from Easton Nelson to Carson Ness to make the score 28-6 to end the first quarter. Serck had his second touchdown of the game on a 41-yard touchdown run for the Bucks and Yankton punched the ball out on the ensuing kickoff, and scored again less than a minute later when Connor Slaba scored on a touchdown reception from Nelson for a 42-6 lead with less than 16 minutes gone in the game. Two more interceptions for the Kernel offense led to two more Serck touchdowns before half, plus a Yankton field goal to set the halftime margin at 59-6.
The second half moved along briskly with the use of the running clock with the scoring margin exceeding 35 points. Serck scored again to widen the Bucks lead but Mitchell got its offense churning late in the third quarter. Reindl was on the receiving end of a big play in the third quarter, catching a slant from Jellis for 37 yards.
Moments later, offensive lineman Mason Herman threw a halfback pass to Jellis to get inside the 10-yard line and then Herman carried the ball inside the 5 to end the third quarter. But the scoring threat slipped away when Yankton’s Chase Platt picked off a pass to start the fourth quarter. Yankton added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter but Mitchell was able to find the goal line, as well, with Denne scoring on a 16-yard touchdown run and Herman added a two-point run to cap the MHS scoring for the season.
ADVERTISEMENT Mitchell’s season ends at 1-8. Yankton (7-2) will host a Class 11AA playoff game on Thursday, Oct. 31 in the state quarterfinals.
Scoring summary First quarter Y: Evan Serck 9 run (Kevin Ortiz), 8:26 Y: Bode Thurman 33 interception return, 7:54. Y: Serck 20 run (Ortiz kick), 7:19 M: Hudson Borgan 6 pass from Parker Denne (kick failed), 0:43. ADVERTISEMENT Y: Carson Ness 73 pass from Easton Nelson (Ortiz kick), 0:00.
Second quarter Y: Serck 41 run (Ortiz kick), 9:23 Y: Connor Slaba 24 pass from Nelson (Ortiz kick), 8:45 Y: Serck 28 run (Ortiz kick), 6:29 Y: FG 29 Ortiz, 1:35. Y: Serck 48 run (Ortiz kick), 0:09. ADVERTISEMENT Third quarter Y: Serck 52 run (Liam Villanueva kick), 10:47 Fourth quarter Y: Jace Sedlacek 19 run (Asher Nockels kick), 8:24 M: Denne 16 run (Mason Herman run), 7:10 Y: Tate Beste 10 run (Nockels kick), 1:58.
